FISHERMEN AND FISHERIES. 2 1 5 



administration of fishery laws, ever achieves so full a success 

 as to be able to follow the most valuable kinds of fish in all 

 their movements, or not, it would be sure to throw a flood 

 of light on other subjects which have quite as great, if not 

 so direct, an interest for the fisherman, and quite as imme- 

 diate a bearing upon the course of his operations. The 

 Norwegian naturalist, Professor Sars, whose observations 

 led to the important discovery that the spawn of the gadidcs 

 floats, his countryman Carl Boeck, and, in our own country, 

 Dr. Giinther, Professor Huxley, Yarrell, Jonathan Couch, 

 and observant practical fisherman like Matthias Dunn of 

 Mevagissey, have done much to remove the clouds of 

 ignorance and doubt which have obscured the natural 

 history of fish ; but jnuch more remains to be done than 

 has ever yet been accomplished, and in taking up this work, 

 and directing and encouraging others in it, the State would State aid in 



scientific 



be conferring a great boon on the fishing interest. A com- research into 

 paratively small outlay would enable it to do all that is fisheries, 

 requisite, for, without taking out of their hands the work of 

 private individuals, it would be able to centralise the result 

 of such labour, and direct it towards particular points which 

 required elucidation. 



Whether in conjunction with, or apart from, such an Fuller 

 organisation for scientific research, the collection of full and required. 

 accurate statistics of the quantities of fish caught, sent to 

 the home markets, and exported ; of the numbers and value 

 of vessels and boats engaged in fishing ; of the quantity, 

 description, and value of their fishing gear ; and of the 

 number of persons engaged in the fisheries and in industries 

 connected therewith, ought to be one of the first duties of 

 the State. At the present time the only really complete 

 and accurate statistics relating to the fisheries are those 

 compiled by the Scotch Fishery Board in regard to the 



